1. Area of Invention
The invention relates to protective barrier systems.
2. Prior Art
A long-standing concern with respect to terrorist attacks upon so-called soft targets has become that of the now well-known suicide bomb truck which is simply driven into such a target and then detonated. As such, a need has arisen for a barrier system having high blast and penetration resistance which may used in the protection of a wide variety of potential targets including, without limitation, oil tanks, harbors, and buildings of various types. Also, because most of such attacks originate from ground level, it is not necessary that the height of such a barrier system be equal to the height of the target to be protected.
The limited prior art which exists in the present area is reflected in U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,522 (1984) to Yerushalmi, entitled Blast And Fragment-Resistant Protected Wall Structure; U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,600 (1992) also to Yerushalmi, entitled Building Structure Having High Blast and Penetration Resistance; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,223,473 (2001) to Romig, entitled Explosion Relief System Including Explosion Relief Panel. Said reference to Yerushalmi '600 is the most directly known precursor to the instant invention. Therein, a filling material such as loose sand, gravel, pebbles or stones is interposed between opposing concrete panels to form a basic barrier structure. The instant system therefore builds upon the invention of Yerushalmi '600 in its provision of a more economic, modular and flexible system of blast barrier protection.
Other approaches to the problem of blast resistance have appeared in the form of special purpose fillers for placement within walls of structures and, as such, are reflected in U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,341 (1986) to Clark, et al entitled Method For Explosive Blast Control Using Expanded Foam; U.S. Pat. No. 4,763,457 (1988) to Caspe, entitled Shock Attenuating Barrier; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,214,894 (1993) to Glesser-Lott, entitled Wall Construction of a Non-Load Bearing External Wall. The instant invention thereby presents a system in which the void space between opposing panels may, in addition to the use of the loose filling materials taught by Yerushalmi '600, also employ foam-like materials as is taught by Clark as well as cellular units having high viscous damping as is taught by Caspe above. Further, the instant system contemplates use of blast-resistant wall panel modules separated by frangible, blast-expansible, or blast isolation elements so that destruction of one module will communicate a shock wave to adjacent modules.
The prior art does not contemplate such a solution to the need for a blast-resistant security perimeter.